Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, and 63 other holdouts have until Aug. 1 to grant access to their property or the township will take the needed land through eminent domain, Mayor Stephen Acropolis said. So far, 61 residents have signed easements.

“Building a strong dune system is essential to the protection of our community,” Acropolis said. “At the same time, I’m disappointed that there are still holdouts that are putting our community at risk for the sake of an ocean view.”

In an unanimous decision, the high court sent the case back for a second trial. The court said the new jury must balance the loss of property value against the benefits of having the publicly funded dune protect their home from future storms.

Acropolis said McKeon is putting the public’s safety in jeopardy by not signing the easement for the project.

“It is beyond disappointing that a sitting New Jersey Assemblyman is refusing to sign the easement to permit the strong dune system,” Acropolis said. “Is it any wonder that citizens are holding out when they have an elected state assemblyman standing with them arm in arm in the way of beach replenishment?”

McKeon said he is not against the project, but rather the wording on the easement, which calls for residents to turn over the property in perpetuity.

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“Ocean views and compensation are not the sticking points for thousands of families like mine who are struggling to recover from Sandy,” McKeon said in a prepared statement. “We support the dune project and agree with the recent Supreme Court ruling. All we are seeking is a basic “meets and bounds” description, which tells us where the dune will be located on the property, before we sign off on an easement in perpetuity.”

Army Corps of Engineers is planning on building 22-foot-high dunes with a 150-foot berm as part of $86 million project along the northern barrier island in Ocean County. Federal officials are hoping to start the project sometime next year.

Brick was one of the hardest hit municipalities in the area when Sandy made landfall Oct. 29. During the storm, approximately 8,500 homes were damaged. The township dropped more than $420 million in value because of the storm.

“Sandy clearly showed the benefit of a strong dune system,” Acropolis said. “The worst devastation on the Jersey Shore was in areas where there was insufficient protection from dunes and seawalls.”